Vlll THE HISTORY OF THIS WORK. 



the T'unicata" This paper makes known to us his 

 views up to that date. The proper introduction to 

 the present work was never written, and it is obvious 

 that it would have been the last thing done, so that it 

 might embrace the writer's final views subsequent to 

 the completion of his dissections of the entire class. In 

 the absence of such an introduction it has been deemed 

 advisable to reprint the paper from the Journ. Linn. 

 Soc. just referred to. In the autumn of 1873 Hancock 

 had " completed about two-thirds and a portion of the 

 remainder " of his work, and " was within two years of 

 the time when he expected to be able to bring it to a 

 conclusion."* But now his final sickness attacked 

 him, and dropsical symptoms supervening he died on 

 the 24th of October, 1873. 



The question which the closest friends of the authors 

 asked themselves was, What was now to be done ? 

 After much consultation, but not until August, 187-5, 

 it was agreed that if Professor Huxley could be induced 

 to take up this matter, write an introduction, and 

 advise generally as to preparing the work for the pivss 

 all would be well. A meeting, therefore, was arranged. 

 Sir William (afterwards Lord) Armstrong invited Pro- 

 fessor Huxley to stay with him for two nights at 

 Cragside, Rothbury, and also the following naturalists 

 and friends of the authors to meet him : Mr. John 

 Hancock (the Ornithologist, and brother of Albany), 

 Dr. Embleton (joint author with A. Hancock in some 

 of his anatomical work,t his medical adviser, and a very 

 close friend to the last), and the Rev. A. M. Norman. 



* Dr. Embleton's " Life of Albany Hancock," ' Nat. Hist. Trans. North- 

 umberland and Durham/ vol. v (1874), p. 182. 



t A. Hancock and Dennis Embleton, " On the Anatomy of Eolis," 'Ann. 

 and Mag. Nat. Hist.,' Vol. XV (1845), p. 1, pis. i-v ; Ser. 2, Vol. I (1848), 

 p. 88, pis. iii, iv ; Ser. 2, Vol. Ill (1849), p. 183, pi. v ; and " On the Anatomy 

 of Doris," ' Philos. Trans.,' 1852, pp. 207-252, pis. xi xviii. 



